2024

The LCBA held its 3ndt annual Ethics Seminar and Professionalism Award event on April 10, 2024 at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins. The Larimer County Bar Association Professionalism Award was given to Randy Golden of Kraemer, Golden, & O’Brien. Randy Golden specializes in family law and mediation. Mr. Golden has practiced family law in Colorado for over 22 years.  Randy Golden also practiced in Dallas, Texas from 1977 until 1993 and is board certified in family law from the State of Texas.  In addition to his background in family law, Randy Golden has completed extensive training in the theory and practice of mediation. Congratulations Randy on this honor! Last year’s Award recipient was Peter Bullard, who retired in 2023. Please see our Professionalism Committee page for details about this award and a list of previous recipients.

On March 1, 2024, we hosted our annual Spring Term Day, which included a morning business meeting, CLE lunch program, and an afternoon of bowling at Chipper’s Lanes in Fort Collins. New officers were elected at the business meeting and updates and announcements were given by various judicial officers and our LCBA Leadership. We also introduced and welcomed our new officers and new lawyers at the meeting. Following the business meeting there was a catered lunch and two CLE’s, both were held at the Larimer County Justice Center this year. After the lunch, about 40 bowlers joined teams for our Annual Term Day Bowling Social and had a great time competing against each other for prizes.

On February 9 & 10, 2024, in partnership with the Weld County Bar Association and Colorado Bar Association, we sponsored and conducted the two-day Northern Colorado Regional High School Mock Trial Competition. Students from the Poudre School District, Thomson School District R2-J, and Weld Re-4 School District participated in this event at the Weld County Courthouse in Greeley. Congratulations to Rocky Mountain High School (1st place), Fort Collins High School (2nd place), and Poudre High School (3rd place) for qualifying for the State competition. The Professionalism Award was presented to Fossil Ridge High School Team1. We thank over 120 volunteers who helped make this event a success.

2023

November is National Adoption Month and each year the LCBA hosts Adoption Day where we celebrate families who are adopting children. The children receive gifts and goodies while being entertained by a special guest and then treated to lunch.

Coffee with Lawyers was held in October 2023 to celebrate Professionalism Month. Law firms in Fort Collins hosted get-togethers on Friday mornings during the month. This was an opportunity for fellow attorneys to mingle with each other over coffee and breakfast snacks before starting their day.

The Colorado Women’s Bar Association, Larimer Chapter hosted a “Mad Fun Fall Social” on October 19, 2023 with an Alice in Wonderland theme and encouraged attendees to embark on a journey down the rabbit hole. The CWBA has several fun social events planned for 2024. All are invited to attend these events, which will be posted under Events on the website.

The LCBA Professionalism Committee and Young Lawyers Division hosted a catered lunch and CLE on October 12, 2023 to celebrate Professionalism Month. Presenters at this event included the Hon. Randal Lococo, a District Court Judge in Weld County, and a judicial panel of judges and magistrates from our 8th Judicial District presenting on process & procedures, decorum and professionalism, and reporting to attorney regulation. Proceeds from this event go to the LCBA to fund college scholarships.

Ask-A-Lawyer Day was held on October 27, 2023 at the Larimer County Justice Center. The Access to Justice Committee provides an opportunity for volunteer attorneys to meet with the public for 30 minutes each to provide free legal advice. The LCBA is proud to host this event for the Norther Colorado community and we are grateful to each attorney who had a heart to serve the community in this way.

Fall Term Day was held on September 8, 2023 with a successful turnout at all of the day’s events. The day began with a coffee and donut social time followed by the semi-annual business meeting with Bar Association updates by our leaders, and the introductions of new lawyers.

Our avid member golfers and their guests met at Collindale Golf Course for an afternoon round of fun and competition at our Annual Fall Term Day Golf Tournament. The winning team came in at eleven under par (wow!) .Congratulations to Allan Massey, Samantha Walsh, Judge Joshua Lehman, and Andrew Priebe for their golfing expertise! The Longest Putt on Hole 9 went to Steve Roberti. The Closest to the Pin (Second Shot) on Hole 12 went to Andrew Priebe. Closest to the Pin on Hole 17 went to Art Abplanalp. The traveling trophy was presented to the winning team and prizes were awarded to the other winners. Congratulations to all of you! A big thank you to Andrew Priebe for his hard work in making this event happen!

Since golf is not everyone’s cup of tea, a group of bicycle enthusiasts turned out for the annual Fall Term Day Bike Ride, a beautiful 16 mile trek through Bellvue and North Fort Collins. Thank you Sara Stieben for your efforts in planning and coordinating this event!

Fall Term Day ended at the Strauss Family Cabin in Fort Collins where we hosted our members and guests for a delightful evening of dinner and music. Drake Johnson’s band graciously played for guests at the last minute and they were a big hit. A huge thank you goes to our president Heidi Whitaker and officers Dan St. John and Andrew Priebe for helping arrange the details for this event.

The Young Lawyers Division celebrated Law Day with a lunch CLE in May. National Law Day is held on May 1st every year to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession. Thirty-nine attorneys attended this year’s CLE in person and online. Proceeds from this event will help fund the YLD’s activities in 2023.

The LCBA Veteran's Committee hosts a free veteran's clinic each year for veterans and their families who need legal help. Volunteer attorneys assist clients in their areas of legal expertise. In September each year, Beyers Law LLC takes the lead to host a free event at VFW Post 41 in Loveland. The LCBA is proud to serve our military veterans in this way and we thank our volunteer attorneys who give their time for this event.

Byron White Inn of Court, hosted by Sam Kornfeld, holds monthly dinner CLE events Members of this group are dedicated to professionalism, ethics, civility, and excellence in the legal community. Members and non-members can attend the meetings and earn CLE credits while socializing with colleagues. Watch for future meeting announcements.

The CLE Committee has been busy planning CLE events in 2024 for their fellow attorneys. The LCBA hosts various CLE’s during the year for members to earn their necessary credit hours while socializing with their colleagues. Check our Events page for upcoming CLE’s.

Throughout the year, the LCBA's Pro-Bono Program meets with pro-bono clients each week in Fort Collins and once a month in Loveland. Cindi Hendrix, the paralegal/program coordinator, and a volunteer attorney meet with clients during the intake sessions to determine the kind of legal assistance the client may need. Visit our Resources/Pro Bono Program page for more information on this program.

The Young Lawyers meet every month on the third Wednesday of the each month, generally over the lunch hour. They have planned monthly Happy Hours at trendy locations around Fort Collins at the end of a workday. These get-togethers are posted on our Events page and are a fun way to socialize with colleagues in a relaxed environment.